Doctors in the U.K. reportedly say they have helped conceive a child genetically incapable of developing hereditary breast cancer.
According to the Times of London, doctors screened out embryos that contained a gene that may have given the baby up to an 85 percent chance of getting disease.
The British couple agreed to go through IVF (in-vitro fertilization), although they had no problem conceiving, to allow for the embryos to be screened. They produced 11 embryos, which doctors tested, and found five to be free from the gene, the Times reported.
Two of these were implanted in the woman’s uterus, and she is now 14 weeks pregnant.
The 27-year-old woman — who wanted to remain anonymous — decided to undergo the procedure because her husband's sister, mother, grandmother and cousin have all had the disease, according to the Times.
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